Sandwich Town Crier Kevin Cook enters World Town Crier Tournament

Sandwich town crier Kevin Cook will compete in the World Town Crier Tournament later this month.

Mr Cook, 48, of Belmont, Walmer, is entering the tournament for the first time.

Sandwich Town Crier Kevin Cook enters tournament

He will travel to Chester to compete against town criers from across the globe for the chance to be crowned the best in the world.

Mr Cook, who was made town crier three years ago, said: “It will be good fun. I’m being allowed to cry on behalf of Sandwich and the Cinque Ports. It would be nice if I did win, but more important is to go there to raise the profile of the town of Sandwich and raise the profile of the Cinque Ports.”

Mr Cook has also been town sergeant of Sandwich for 14 years and had no formal training as a town crier.

He said: “I’ve never really met another town crier, let alone competed against them. It’s fresh ground for me, it’s quite exciting for the town as well to be competing on an international stage.”

Sandwich town crier Kevin Cook with Mayor of Sandwich Paul Graeme at the market

Sandwich Town Council has sponsored Mr Cook to go to the tournament and has shown its support.

The tournament will take place at Chester Town Hall Square on August 20, 21 and 23. Each day will see a different cry performed.

The first day will be the home town cry, and Mr Cook’s will detail the history of Sandwich and the Cinque Ports; the second day will feature the law and order cry; followed by the Land Rover cry on the third day, which has been sponsored by Hunters Chester Land Rover.

Mr Cook explained that writing a cry can be hard work and can take up to four hours.

He said: “It’s just a case of sitting down and doing a bit of research on the history and bringing it all together to make them entertaining, amusing and rhyme, and all under 125 words.

“I try to make them amusing and to rhyme, as traditionally all town criers would speak in rhyme.” There are 24 entrants from England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Channel Islands and the USA.

The winner for each round will be announced to spectators on the day and at the end of the tournament the one with the highest score will be named tournament champion.

Mr Cook said: “I shall very much have Deal in my heart when I perform as well, and as I am the only one from Kent, I am representing the whole South East.”